Хикари қаласының тарихы мен географиясы

The urban center of Hikari is located on the alluvial plain of the Shimada River, and on both ends of it lies the Murozumi Coast and Nijigahama Beach, forming part of the Setonaikai National Park. The hilly area from the northern part of the city to the eastern part is the Sekishiroyama Prefectural Natural Park.

Hikari has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification Cfa) with very warm summers and cool winters. The average annual temperature in Hikari is 15.6 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1678 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July, at around 26.2 °C, and lowest in January, at around 5.6 °C.

Per Japanese census data, the population of Hikari has been relatively steady for the past 70 years.

The area of Hikai was part of an ancient Suō Province and traces of settlements dating to the Yayoi period have been found. Murozumi Bay used to be called Mitarai Bay, and was a key point for maritime traffic on the Seto Inland Sea in ancient times. The name comes from the legend that Empress Jingū washed her hands in this bay when she was on her way to conquer the Korean Peninsula. In addition, the Silla expeditionary force led by Otomo Satehiko found shelter here when it was caught in a storm. During the Edo Period, the area was part of the holdings of Chōshū Domain and prospered as a port of call for the kitamaebune coastal trade. Following the Meiji restoration, the villages of Mitsui, Shimada, Mii and Asae within Kumage District, Yamaguchi was established with the creation of the modern municipalities system on April 1, 1889. These municipalities were merged for the town of Shunan on April 1, 1939. The town was renamed Hikari on October 1, 1940, On April 1, 1943 Hikari merged with the town of Murozumi to form the city of Hikari.

The Hikari Naval Arsenal (or Dockyard) included a fire control factory, built in 1942, that employed about 600 people. It was one of the principal establishments for producing the Standard H. A. System (Type 94 Kosha Sochi) at the rate of ~15 per month, along with bomb components, torpedo afterbodies, and misc. machined parts. The Imperial Japanese Navy formed the Second Special Attack Force (former First Special Base Unit) on March 1, 1945, at Hikari for conducting kaiten attacks. Rear Admiral Nagai Mitsuru was the Commanding Officer. On that same day, a kaiten crew training unit is also formed at Hirao, SE of Hikari. The Hikari Naval Arsenal was consequently bombed the next day on August 14, 1945 (one day before the end of war), taking 738 lives. The attacking U. S. aircraft were 156 B 29 bombers
stationed in Saipan, supported by P 51 Mustangs from Iwo Jima. Including this bombing, Hikari lost more than 1,200 citizens in World War II, both military and civilian.

On July 1, 1955 Hikari annexed the village of Suō. On October 4, 2004, the town of Yamato (from Kumage District) was merged into Hikari. The former Hikari Naval Arsenal is now the sites for Nippon Steel Corporation and vaccine manufacturing by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company. Takeda discovered the hull of a Type 4 Kaiten under one of the buildings in August 1989, an attestation to the history of the site.

Hikari has a mayor council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Hikari contributes two members to the Yamaguchi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Yamaguchi 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Hikari has a mixed economy based on heavy industry and pharmaceuticals, as well as agriculture and commercial fishing. There are several industrial parks in the city.

Hikari has 11 public elementary school and five public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Yamaguchi Prefectural Board of Education. There are also one elementary school and one junior high school operated by the national government and one private high school.